JAVS Fall 1997

27

Variation 7 begins with a curious waltz 16 rhythm (the downbeats are missing) occasionally punctuated by brief figures in the viola. The piano mimics the viola line in the top notes of its chords, beginning with the viola's unresolved B~ from the end of Variation 6. The bottom notes of these chords interpret D~ variously as a non-chord tone resolving to C or-as C#- to D. This variation, like the first, is divided into two roughly equal parts, but in this variation the second part is slower rather than faster. In this second part, the viola's brief figures shape themselves into an enigmatic melody while the piano's waltz rhythm disappears: as in Varia tion 4, the piano plays only when the viola holds a note, so the two never play together. The viola ends alone on E~ in a reminder of the unconvincing C-minor cadences ofVariation 6. Variation 8 consists of six short phrases in the viola. These phrases are syncopated and erratic-if this is really supposed to be a march, one of the marcher's legs may be a bit too short. The viola plays with a distorted tone color, "quasi ponticello," and ends each phrase with a pizzicato note. The meaning of the marking "quasi ponticello" is not perfectly clear, but is probably not poco sul ponticello; more likely what is wanted is the sound produced when the bow is drawn too quickly for the hair to properly "bite" into the string, an effect that can be produced at any volume level and that sounds not unlike sul ponticello but preserves more of the fundamental pitch of the note. Each phrase begins with a nervous figure in triplets in the piano: the first three of these simply verticalize motive x' or the remainder of the first phrase of the Theme. The fourth triplet figure verticalizes motive y' transposed by a half step; the last two triplet figures descend to close on C (Figure 9). The viola part remains inC minor throughout.

FIGURE 9· The piano triplet figures beginning each phrase ofVariation 8

transposed r---- y' ~

remainder of r- first phrase ---r

' ,-----X ----,

At the beginning of Variation 9, the piano plays motive x' inverted, beginning on C and ending on F, the subdominant of C minor. This figure is repeated sequentially a tritone lower to end on B~, the leading tone, and is immediately followed by the inversion of the remainder of the first phrase of the Theme, completing that phrase on G, the dominant. That G, in turn, serves as a springboard for an appearance of motive x as an E~-major triad. Against all this the left hand plays a series of dissonant harmonies calculated to confuse the ear as to the harmonic direction of the variation. In the end, however, these dissonances resolve to a clear half cadence in C minor, leading to Variation 10. The viola, as Britten originally wrote the passage, simply sustains the dissonant harmonies as double harmonics at cadential points. Britten reworked this passage, however, for the string orchestra arrangement to integrate the viola part into the mo tivic development of Lachrymae and to emphasize more strongly the harmonic direction of the variation. The first two viola passages now lead to and from the second appearance of motive x' inverted. Each uses the inversion of motive x-the downward arpeggiation of a triad beginning with its third. In the first appearance of this inversion, one note is altered, making two descend ing fourths; the same figure ends the variation. The first viola passage thus begins as the second ends, on C. The third viola passage at first increases the harmonic confusion, adding new disso nances by reinterpreting the root or the seventh of the original dissonant harmonies as the third